Switch mechanism for electric signs.



No. 758,342. PATENTED APR; 26, 1904. F. S. WAHL.

SWITCH MEGHA'NISM FOR ELECTRIC SIGNS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

77 11 211 ass-es 6MM W-- h v a 7 flfr neys.

No, 758,342.- PAT-ENTED APR. 26, 1904;

.F. S. WAHL.

SWITCH MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC SIGNS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 14, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

F. s. WAHL. SWITCH MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC SIGNS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 14, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

i of the United'States, residing at Buffalo, in the of this character in which the pattern-cards construct the switch that a slight rubbing ac- FRANK s. warm, or BUFFALO,

.invented new and useful Improvements in Switch Mechanism for Electric Signs, of which other carrier supporting a plurality of pins or stopping the operation of the machine.

. the pattern-supporting drum for keeping the 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal secvertical transverse section, on an enlarged Patented April 26, 1904.

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALFRED W. HORN, OF BUFFALO, NEW, YORK. I

SWITCH: MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC'SIGNS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 758,342, dated April 26,1904.-

' Application'lilecl Ju1yl4,1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S, l/VAHL, a citizen county of Erie and State of New York, have the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a changeable switch mechanism for electric advertising-signs comprising, essentially, a carrier supporting a number of perforated pattern-cards and anfingers which are adapted toenterthe perforations of said cards and close anelectric circnit through dilferent groups of lamps of the advertising-sign.

The principal object of my invention :is the production of an improved switch mechanism can be readily and quickly changed without Another object of my invention is to pm- My invention has the further objects to so tion is produced between the contact-pins'and contact-surfaces clean and insuring perfect electrical connection and to improve the switch in other respects.

' In-the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved switch mechanism forelectrical advertising-signs. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same in line 2 2, Fig.

tion in line 3 3, Fig. 2, showing thepatterncarrier-shifting mechanism. Fig. 4: is atransverse section in line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse section in line 5 5, Fig.1. Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective View of the commutator. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary scale, in line 7 7, Fig. 1, showing the patterncards and contact-fingers and their supports. The same reference characters designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings. The main frame of the machine consists of a horizontal base A andtwo standards B,

frame and engaging with the collecting-ring Serial a. 115,434. (1% model.)

rising from-opposite ends of the base.

2 C represents the carrier, which supports the insulatingpattern-cardsD. This carrier preferably consists of a horizontal drum mounted on a longitudinal shaft, which is journaled in bearings on the upper ends of the standards. The cylindrical body a of the drum consists of wood or other insulating material, and its heads 0 may be made of the same material or of metal. The periphery of the drum is provided with a facing or covering 6, of sheet metal, which serves as one of thecontacts of the changeable switch, whereby different groups of lamps are placed in'circuit with an electric generator F. One pole of the latter is connected with this metallic covering by a wire f f, which includes an insulated collecting-ring mounted on the drum-shaft, and an insulated brush f mounted on the I f {whereby the drum is free to rotate without disturbing its electrical connection with the generator. 1 l

d represents a series of longitudinal guide ribs or holders'which are secured equidistant circumferentially upon the conducting-covering e, and each of which is T-shaped in crosssection, whereby longitudinal guideways d are formed on opposite sides of the rib adjacent to the periphery of the drum. The pattern cards are of oblong form and held on the metallic covering of the drum by engaging their longitudinal edges with the ways of the guide-ribs and sliding the same lengthwise of the drum. 'The pattern-cards are preferably 5 of the same length, or nearly so,'as the drum andare confined against radial displacement on the same by the guide ribs.

Gr represents a plurality of metallic pattern pins or fingers, which, together with the con-- 9 ductor-covering 6, form the contacts of'the pattern-switch, whereby the electric circuit is closed through the different groups of lamps. These pins are arranged radially, or nearly so, in front of the drum and mounted in several longitudinal rows on a horizontal insulating-bar H, arranged lengthwise in front of the drum. This insulating-bar is supported on the upper arm I of a rock-lever or oscillating carrier, which is mounted on a longitudinal rock-shaft i, journaled in bearings on the standards, so that the'contact-pins'can be moved forward and backward for" making and breaking contact with the conductor-covering a. Each of the pattern-pins is in circuit with one of the groups of lamps, and when moved forward through a perforation in the pattern-card into engagement with the conductor-covering of the drum it closes the circuit through the companion group of lamps, causing the same to be illuminated. Each of the pattern-cards is perforated according to the particular group of lamps it is desired to illuminate upon pressing the pattern pins against the respective card. The pins of the lamps which are to be illuminated pass through openings in the card and make contact with the covering 0, whilethe pins of the lamps which should not be illuminated are intercepted by the solid parts of the pattern-card and are insulated from the covering. Each of the pins is yieldingly supported on the insulating-bar in order to permit those pins which engage with the solid part of the pattern-card to be arrested, while those entering openings in the card continue to move forward with the carrier until they engage with the metallic covering. As shown in the drawings, this yielding support consists of an externallythreaded socket or tube 9, which screws into an internally-threaded transverse opening in the insulating-bar and receives the rear end of the pattern contact-pin, ashoulder or collar g, arranged on the pin and engaging V with an internal flange or shoulder g on the front end of the socket, and a spring g interposed between said collar and the bottom'of the socket for holding the pin normally in a projected position. By screwing the socket forward or backward in the insulating-bar the pin therein can be adjusted with reference to the drum when assembling the machine or for taking up wear.

Inasmuch as the conductor-coveringe of the drum is curved and the contact-pins move toward and from the same in the arc of a circle, a slight rubbing action of the contact-pins against the covering is produced, whereby the contact-surfaces are always maintained bright and clean, causing the electric circuit to be perfectly closed and the lamps to be properly illuminated.

The insulating-bar H may be made of wood, fiber, slate, or other non-conducting material, and the same may be constructed in sections, as shown in the drawings, or in one piece. The insulating-bar is supported on the rock-lever between a seat it in its upper arm, which receives the bar, and a clamping-plate h, Which fits over the insulating-bar and is secured to this arm by bolts if, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7.

The drum is rotated intermittently in. the

direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, this movement being so timed that each pattern-card stands momentarily at rest in front of the contactpins. WVhile the drum is at rest, the contactpin carrier moves forward and presses the pins against the insulator-card and the conductor-covering, after which the contact-pins are retracted and the drum is moved forward another step. This operation is repeated continuously in this manner, whereby the several cards having different perforations for producing various advertising-signs are successively brought into operation.

The card-carrying drum and the pin-carrying lever are both operated from a countershaft J, journaled lengthwise below the drum in bearings j on the base. This counter-shaft is driven from a transverse driving-shaft K by an intermeshing worm and worm-wheel k 76. Upon the counter-shaft is mounted a cam L, which engages with a roller Z on the lower arm I of the contactpin-carrying rock-lever. When the high part of this cam engages with the lower arm I, the companion upper arm I is moved forward for engaging its pins with the card and drum, and when the low part of this cam faces the rock-lever the latter is permitted to reverse its motion for retracting the contact-pins. The backward movement of the rock-lever is effected by the overhanging weight of its upper arm; but this may be accomplished by a spring or by suitably constructing the actuating-cam Lin a well-known manner for this purpose.

The driving mechanism whereby the cardsupporting drum is rotated step by step is constructed as follows: M represents an escapement disk or wheel mounted on the drum-shaft adjacent to one end of the drum and provided on its outer flat side with an annular row of equidistant escapement-teeth or pins m. N represents a pallet which reciprocates transversely of the path of the escapement-teeth and operates upon the same for propelling the drum. This pallet consists of upper and lower V-shaped jaws n a, mounted on a verticallymovable slide n and separated vertically by an intervening space. The upper jaw is arranged in advance of the lower jaw one-half the distance between two adjacent escapement-teeth. The slide is guided in a way 0 on the adjacent standard and is reciprocated by a cam P, having a groove which receives a pin or roller 19 on the lower end of the slide. This cam is mounted on the adjacent end of the counter-shaft J.. During the downward movement of the pallet the inclined front part n of the upper jaw engages with the escapement-tooth below the same and moves the same forward one-half of a space by the time the tooth reaches the crotch of this jaw, at which time the tooth stands above the inclined front side a of the lower jaw. During the subsequent upward movement of the pallet this inclined front side a of the lower jaw engages with the escapement-tooth V which was previously acted upon by the upper jaw and moves the same forward another half-space by the time the tooth reaches the crotch of the, lower jaw. During the next following downward movement of the pallet the advancing tooth escapes from the lower jaw, and the upper jaw moves the succeeding tooth forward one-half of a space or step, each tooth of the escapement-wheel being successively operated on by the pallet in this manner, whereby the drum is turned slowly and intermittently forward. The connection a between the upper and lower jaws of the pallet is arranged outside of the path of the escapement-teeth, so that the same does not interfere with the movement of the teeth.

The groove of the cam P, which operates the pallet, is so shaped that'the upward movement of the pallet takes place immediately after the downward movement of the same; but a considerable time 'elapses between the end of the upward movement and the next following downward movement of the pallet, whereby the drum is quickly turned forward one space and then held .at rest while one of its pattern-cards is in an operative position and engaged by the pattern-contact pins. This means of operating the drum not only feeds the drum forwardintermittently, but holds the same accurately in position after being shifted, so that the perforations in the patterncards register properly with the contact-pins.

Q represents several groups of incandescent electric lamps, the circuits of which are controlled by my improved switch mechanism. These lamps may be arranged in any suitable manner to produce letters, words, or other characters upon closing the circuit through different groups, One side of each group of lamps is connected by wires q q with a binding-post G on the outer end of one of the contact-pin tubes or sockets. These wires are preferably connected by a bindingpost (f, mounted on an insulatingboard g of the main frame for convenience in connecting the machine with the lamps. The opposite side of the several groups of'lamps is connected by a commonreturn-wire 'r 1" with the opposite pole of the generator F.

In order to prevent sparking between the contact-pins'and the drum, a main or electromagnetic switch is placed elsewhere in the main circuit for opening the same before the contact-pins leave the drum and closing the same after the contact-pins again engage the drum. As shown in the drawings, this switch consists, essentially, of a pair of fixed contacts 8 8, connected with the wires r r, a movable bridge-contact s for connecting the fixed contact s s, and a solenoid-magnet T, having its armature t connected with the bridge-contact. The solenoid-magnet has its coil in circuit with a battery or generator U and terminates in two brushes 1) o, arranged side by side. An

insulated rotary commutator wheel or ring W, mounted on the counter-shaft,' is provided with an annular part w, bearing against one of the brushes, and a segmental part 10 having an insulating-section 20 and bearing against the other brush. WVhen thefmachine is in operation, the commutator electrically connects the brushes 0; 0; after the contact-pins engage the drum, thereby energizing the magnet T and closing the switch-contacts s s siwhereby the groups of lamps whose contact-pins engage with the metallic facing of the drum are illuminated. Before the contact-pins leave the metallic facing of the drumthe commutator breaks the circuit across the brushes Q) 41,

causing the magnet to become deenergized and release its armature, which latteris shifted by gravity or by a spring 00 to disengage the bridge-contacts s from the fixed contacts 8.8, breaking the main circuit.

Not only is sparking between the contactpins and drum prevented by closing the main circuit after the contact-pins engage the drum and again breaking the circuit before these pins leave the drum, but the lamps are also lighted and extinguished simultaneously, thereby making the display of the eleotricsign more elfective.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a rotary drum having a peripheral contact-surface forming one terminal of an electric circuit, an annular series of longitudinal guideways arranged on .drum having a peripheral contact-surface forming one terminal of an electric circuit, an annular series of perforated pattern-cards mounted on the periphery of the drum and rotating concentrically therewith, contact-pins forming the opposite terminal of said electric circuit, and an oscillating carrier which supports said pins and whereby the latterare moved toward the contact-surface of the drum in the arc of a circle, thereby producing a rubbing contact between'said pins and'said surface, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a cylindrical drum provided on its periphery with a contact-surface forming one terminal of an electric circuit, perforated pattern-cards mounted on the periphery of the drum, an oscillating carrier movable toward and from the drum and pattern-cards and provided with a seat and a clamping-plate over the seat, an insulatingbar arranged between the seat and plate of said carrier, and contact-pins mounted on said bar and forming the other terminal of the electric circuit, substantially'as set forth.

4. The combination of a rotary drum provided with a peripheral contact-surface forming one terminal of an electric circuit, perforated pattern-cards mounted on said surface, a carrier movable toward and from said drum and pattern-cards, an insulating-bar mounted on said carrier and provided with internally vided with a peripheral contact-surface form ing one terminal of an electric circuit, perforated pattern-cards mounted on said surface, contact pins adapted to engage with said drum and cards and forming the other terminalof the electric circuit, a rock-lever which supports said contact-pins on one of its arms and whereby the pins-are moved toward and from the drum and cards, and a cam engaging with the other arm of the rock-lever, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a rotary drum provided with a peripheral contact-surface forming one terminal of an electric circuit, perforated pattern-cards mounted on said surface, contact-pins adapted to engage with said drum and cards and forming the other terminal of the electric circuit, an escapement-wheel turning with the drum and provided with an annular row of teeth, and a pallet movable transversely of the path of said teeth and having two inclined jaws which operate on said teeth for rotating said drum intermittently, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a rotary drum provided with a peripheral contact-surface forming one terminal of an electric circuit, perforated pattern-cards mounted on said surface, contact-pins adapted to engage with said drum and cards and forming the other terminal of the electric circuit, an escapement-wheel turning with the drum and provided with an annular row of teeth, and a pallet movable transversely of the path of said teeth and having two V-shaped jaws which operate successively on each tooth and one of said jaws being arranged in advance of the other, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a rotary drum provided with a peripheral contact-surface forming one terminal of an electric circuit, perforated pattern-cards mounted on said surface, contact-pins adapted to engage with said drum and cards and forming the other terminal of the electric circuit, an escapement-wheel turning with the drum and provided with an annular row of teeth, a pallet movable transversely of the path of said teeth and having two V-shaped jaws which operate successively on each tooth and one of said jaws being arrangedin advance of the other, a slide carrying said pallet, and a cam which operates said slide, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a rotary drum provided with aperipheral contact-surface forming one terminal of an electric circuit, perforated pattern-cards mounted on said surface, contact-pins adapted to engage with said drum and cards and forming the other terminal of the electric circuit, a rock-lever which supports said contact-pins on one of its arms and whereby the pins are moved toward and from the drum and cards, a counter-shaft provided with a cam engaging with the other arm of said rock-lever, an escapement-wheel turning with the drum and provided with an annular row of teeth, a reciprocating pallet operating on said teeth to propel said drum, and a cam mounted on said counter-shaft and actuating said slide, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of a rotary drum provided with a peripheral contact-surface forming one terminal of an electric circuit, perforated pattern-cards mounted on said surface, contact-pins adapted to engage with said drum and cards and forming the other terminal of the electric circuit, a rock-lever which supports said contact-pins on one of its arms and whereby the pins are moved toward and from the drum and cards, a counter-shaft provided with a cam engaging with the other arm of said rock-lever, an escapement-wheel turning with the drum and provided with an annular row of teeth, a reciprocating pallet operating on said teeth to propel said drum, a cam mounted on said counter-shaft and actuating said slide, an electromagnetic switch which controls the circuit including said pins and contact-surface and which is arranged in a separate electric circuit terminating in two brushes, and a commutator arranged on the counter-shaft and adapted to connect and disconnect said brushes, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 13th day of May, 1902.

FRANK S. WAHL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT HAREE, 'lnno. L. Porr. 

